July 14 - 1789 - The Storming of the Bastille

In 1789, it was clear something had to change with the French government. Louis XIV's government was broke, which meant he had to call the Estates-General, essentially the parliament for France. This was the first time it had been called since 1614. Unsurprisingly, the Estates-General had many different issues to deal with and ended up trying to restrain Louis' power. When he tried to curb the Estates-General, they became the National Assembly. Yet real conflict and revolution was sparked when Louis fired the Finance Minister Jacques Necker. Believing mercenary troops would attack Paris, angry mobs formed throughout the city. First attacking Hotel des Invalides, the retired soldiers home and arsenal, the mob encountered little resistance. When they moved to the Bastille, an old fortress and prison, they began with negotiations. By the afternoon, the Bastille was stormed by the mob. This moment would lead to about 100 deaths and a sense of revolution throughout the city and the country. After the storming of the Bastille, a Revolution had actually begun.